February 15, 2023 – Agricultural biotechnology company Qualterra, Inc., a leader in agricultural and sustainability technologies, today announced that Dr. Sharol Marcec has started in the role of Field Trial Scientist. In her role, Dr. Marcec will design and manage a portfolio of on-farm trials as well as research conducted at Qualterra’s greenhouse facility and newly acquired 80-acre R&D Farm in Spangle, WA.
Among Dr. Marcec’s science responsibilities will be management of a portfolio of industry partners whom are jointly participating with Qualterra in on-farm trials on their land and within their commercial cropping systems. Qualterra prioritizes on-farm trials, as it allows the company to work directly with the industries and stakeholders it serves. Qualterra currently has a portfolio of R&D trials in Washington State, Texas, and Louisiana.
“Sharol is a strong believer in the utilization of rigorous field trials to inform technology development and commercialization, which is important, as we continue to implement solutions for farmers,” said Dr. Amit Dhingra, Chief Science Officer at Qualterra. “She brings proven experience conducting research and communicating those results into meaningful actions for our grower customers.”
“Sharol will coordinate our research efforts in the field, across all three commercial divisions of the company: Molecular Plant Testing, Clean Plant Propagation, and Biomass Processing,” said Mike Werner, Chief Executive Officer at Qualterra. “Sharol’s work will further help us learn about and share the circular nature of our technologies: biomass from the farm can be processed in our Agricultural Regeneration Stations (ARS), and then used as a soil amendment (biochar) for the nursery plants we grow. The entire process improves plant and soil health, reduces waste, conserves water, sequesters carbon, and produces renewable energy.”
“Qualterra is truly a transformative company developing innovations in agriculture and sustainability. These innovations will drive positive economic and environmental impacts for farmers for years to come, said Marcec. “I’m inspired by Qualterra’s mission and I look forward to contributing my background in biochemistry and plant development to our integrated research efforts.”
Dr. Marcec joined Qualterra as a Scientist in the Molecular Plant Testing Laboratory in Pullman, WA in April 2022. She obtained her Bachelors Degree in Biology from Lewis-Clark State College in 2014. Dr. Marcec was admitted directly into her PhD program in Molecular Plant Sciences at Washington State University’s Institute of Biological Chemistry where she focused her research on plant cellular development and protein function in cell division. Specifically, her dissertation was elucidating the function of MACERATOR: A novel, plant-specific microtubule-nucleator involved in cytokinesis. Dr. Marcec is married with a teenage son and she enjoys all of the bountiful aspects of living and working in the Inland Northwest. Dr. Marcec grew up on a small farm and started a CSA while earning her B.S. and continued the operation throughout her PhD program. “I have spent years improving the quality of my own garden soil, and I am happy to be aligned with a company that takes a holistic view on plant cultivation and soil health.”
About Qualterra
Qualterra is an agricultural technology company on a mission to create innovations in agriculture and sustainability. Qualterra’s platform of technologies follow a plant life-cycle from molecular plant testing and breeding support to propagation and nursery technologies through ag biomass waste processing and carbon capture technologies. Qualterra, headquartered in Washington State, USA, has three commercial facilities located in the main agricultural production area of the state.